“The biggest problem of Madeira's economy is not the lack of investors, it is the lack of workers”, said the Secretary of Economy, centrist José Manuel Rodrigues, in the debate on the Budget (2,553 ME) and Investment Plan (1,044 ME) of the Regional Government for 2025, in the Legislative Assembly of the region, in Funchal.

The former president of the Madeiran parliament argued that this reality must be compensated with “the arrival of immigrants, in a regulated and integrated way”.

Rodrigues also assured that the Madeiran government (PSD/CDS-PP) “will not give up on seeing the ferry line between Madeira and the mainland completed, as set out in the State Budget”. Mentioning that the Regional Secretariat for the Economy has an allocation of 138 million euros in this Budget/2025, Rodrigues argued that “the great driving force of the regional economy is no longer public works and investments (…), but private initiative”. Among the eight pillars of the Madeiran economy, he stated the importance of seeking to improve maritime mobility and investment in the Madeira Ports Administration (APRAM), boosting innovation and the sustainability of the Madeiran business community, valuing regional products, in addition to encouraging the creation of qualified jobs, retaining people and talent. Of the total allocated to this Regional Secretariat, 35 ME are reserved for strengthening economic activity, another 13.8 ME, within the scope of innovation, will support companies “to promote a change in the specialization profile of the regional economy”, he said.

Among other investments, he pointed out 7.6 million euros to support companies' overpricing of transport and the six million euros registered for the Operating Incentive System, which aims to compensate them for the disadvantages caused by their insularity.

“This support is financed by funds from the Regional Budget, but, to a large extent, by European funds, although there are other measures and complementary credit lines, some created after the pandemic”, he mentioned.